Health

Animal Health and Disease

Sources of Information

• Keeping Livestock Healthy: A Vet guide to Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Goats & Sheep. Haynes. Publisher: Storey Books. 1994 ($15.96) (6.65 used Out of Print)

• Farm Animal Health: A practical Guide. 1991. Patrick T. Cullen. Pergamon Press. ($74.95)

• Principles ov Vet Science. Keith. H. Hoopes. 1997. (39.95)

• The Merck Veterinary Manual ($32.00)

• Dorland's pocket medical dictionary or Steadman's medical dictionary ($30-50)

• Stockman's handbook - Ensminger ($91.25, used 42.00)

Health & Behavior

• Alert• Ears ‘normal’• Bright eyes• Head up• Contented,

productive• Playful, easy

movement

• Listless• Dull eyes, pallid skin• Thin, no appetite• Diarrhea or no

bowel movements• Skin rashes,

blemishes• ‘Unkept’ haircoat

•Learn to observe behavior indicating health/disease

• Observe an animals bowel movements– A change (looser, firmer, different color)

can indicate a coming change in health

4 Good Rules

• Learn to observe behavior & condition carefully and routinely

• Spot problems EARLY

• Reduce Animal Stress– Protection from environment, parasites,

injury

• Know WHEN to call for help

Sources of Help

• Veterinarian

• ADDL (supports Vet services)

• Extension Personnel

• Help from State Chemist’s office, State Veterinarian, etc.

Zoonoses

• Bovine tuberculosis

• Brucelosis (undulant fever)

• Psittacosis (parrot fever)

• Rabies

• Trichinosis

• Q fever

• Salmonellosis others

Causes of Disease

• Genetics– Dwarfism– Hairlessness– Hemophilia– Mongolism

Nutrition

• Deficiencies– Hypovitaminosis– Mineral deficiencies

• Rickets• Grass tetany• Milk fever• Anemia• Goiter

Injuries

• Mechanical & thermal injuries– Blows– Cuts (wire?)– Heat– Irradiation– Frostbite

Poisons

• Snake venom• Phenol• Arsenic• Salt• Urea (ammonia)• Castor beans• Locust trees

• Wild cherry, esp. after frost

• Mushrooms• Bracken fern• Many plants & many

chemicals

Living Organisms & Disease

• Metazoan parasites

• Protozoa

• Fungi

• Higher bacteria

• Lower bacteria

• Viruses

Metazoan parasites

• Intestinal worms• Heart worms• Tape worms• Kidney worms• Lung worms• Hook worms

• Ticks• Mites• Botflies• Liver fluke• Grubs

Protozoa

• Seldom do violent damage – more chronic

• Coccidiosis• Toxoplasmosis• Anaplasmosis

FUNGI

• Mostly skin and mucous membranes

• Aspergillosis• Histoplasmosis• Ringworm• Mycotic abortion

Higher Bacteria

• Slowly progressive and chronic

• Tuberculosis• Glanders• Actinomycosis

Simple Bacteriaacute, severe disease

• Anthrax– Herbivores & Man– DEATH

• Clostridial Infections– Blackleg (highly fatal)– Malignant edema– Tetanus

• Man & animals• Death

– Enterotoxemia– Botulism

Simple Bacteria continued

• Streptococcus– Strangles

• Horses• Respiratory

– Strep Mastitis– Genital infections

Simple Bacteria continued

• Staphylococal infections

• Vibriosis– Genital system

• Swine Erysipelas• Brucellosis

– Bangs, Undulant fever

• Salmonellosis• Pasteurellosis• Others

Means of control

• SOME bacteria are controllable by ANTIBIOTICS.

• NOTE: Antibiotics are NOT effective against viruses.

• SOME bacteria can be vaccinated against (as can some viruses)

VIRUSES

• Neurotropic– Rabies – all animals

FATAL– Equine

Encephalomyelitis– Pseudorabies– Scrapie (not really a

virus – a prion)– LCM lymphocytic

choriomeningitis

• Epitheliotropic– Foot & Mouth Disease– Vesicular exanthema– Pox

Viruses (continued)

• Pneumotropic– Swine influenza– Bovine malignant

catarrh– Chronic murine

pneumonia (rats)– IBR (Infection bovine

rhinotracheitis)

• Pantropic– Distemper– Hog cholera– EIA Equine

Infectious Anemia (Swamp Fever)

– Virus Diarrhea

• Tumor Forming Viruses

To REPEAT

• ANTIBIOTICS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE AGAINST VIRUSES

• Some antiviral agents do now exist, but are not yet used routinely for animals, except for testing for human use.

Prions

• Prions are probably NOT living material (viruses may not be either)

• Portions of protein

• Cause Mad Cow Disease, Scrapie (sheep)

Normal parameters

• Temperature (F)– Horse 99.5 – 101.3– Cattle 100.4 – 103.1– Swine 100.4 – 104.0

Normal parameters

• Heartbeats per Minute– Horse 28 – 40– Cattle 40 – 70– Swine 60 – 100

Normal parameters

• Breaths per minute– Horse 8 – 16– Beef cow 10 – 30– Dairy cow 18 – 28– Pig 8 – 18

Back to Basics – about health

• Identify animals – it’s fundamental

• Keep records

Basics

• Plan a program for health– To control disease– To maximize profit

• Vaccination

• Castration

• Isolation

• Sanitation

• Herd replacement

• Use the professional advice of your VET and of your Extension Service

• Know the Capabilities and Limitations of Drugs– Administer properly– FOLLOW DRUG RESTRICTIONS

SANITATION

• CLEAN UP before applying disinfectant

• Use an EFFECTIVE disinfectant

• Clean floors regularly

• Properly dispose of manure, bedding, and dead animals

• Allow buildings to remain empty (3 wks) to break disease cycle

• Quarantine NEW and DISEASED animals

• Limit movement or contact with man and animals that my carry disease

Keeping Animals HealthyCattle - Prevention

• Buy or breed healthy animals– If possible buy direct from breeder– When animals are sent to concentration

points• Unfavorable environment• Fed, watered irregularly• Mixed with other animals

Preconditioning

• Prior to placing in feedlot– Varies with:

• Age• Origin• Procurement method• Vaccination history• Mgmt procedures applied

• MORE than just a NEEDLE program

• Carefully timed program of:– Weaning– Feed and water adaptation– Immunization– Treatment & reduced marketing stresses

• Want a healthy, disease resistant animal that will readily adjust

Preconditioning Practices

• Surgical procedures– Castrate & dehorn well in advance of

shipping

• Parasite control– Treat for internal parasites– Treat for grubs & lice

• Vaccinations– Blackleg – malignant edema – clostridium– Parainfluenza 3– Pasteurella– IBR– BVD– PROBABLY – work list with your VET

• Wean calves at least 3 weeks before shipping

• Feeding– Start on hay and grain at least 3 weeks

ahead

• Feeder must expect and be willing to pay more for preconditioned animals

• Transport animals under the best possible conditions

• Inspect animals immediately upon arrival

• Give cattle access to water & long hay– Also protein supplement– Antibiotics help reduce disease

• Provide shelter

• Keep isolated from any other animals

• Remove and treat any sick animals

• A good animal husbandryman can recognize when his animals are not healthy

• A trained and licensed Veterinarian is qualified to make diagnoses and prescribe treatment